Defender 127 Project - ?The Excellent?

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 1, 2018

• #1

I’m starting a thread to document my next major project, the rebuild of this 1984 127 which I’ve half-heartedly dubbed “The Excellent” after a Grand Tour spot which amused me greatly.

Fortunately, I have a full 130 which will donate all the necessary parts. In the next couple weeks I will strip the 130 and prepare it for shipping.

In the meantime I have pix of rescuing The Excellent from it’s former barn resting place. Luckily for me, the most chill French mechanic in the world works two doors down from my house and he lent me his auto transporter.

Also, I’ve decided to keep this project thread NAS-ROW only. No way am I posting all this stuff twice and I’m tired of building content for the corporate owners.

 

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 1, 2018

• #2

The extraction, the transportation, and the triumphant arrival.

 

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JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 1, 2018

• #3

Not sure why the software resolves some punctuation marks as ? and the random upside down pix are maddening.

 

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 1, 2018

• #4

I knew there were no brakes and no drive, but I discovered that the supplied keys also don?t actuate the ignition. So I got a chance to drill out the security bolts on the ignition switch to free up my steering.

I bolted some lumber to the ARB as a contact surface and pushed the magnificent lump into the driveway.

Next step, chuck Nissan Diesel engine and swap in V8.

 

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xplorutah

Well-known member

• May 1, 2018

• #5

Jim, awesome new project. Two weeks to strip a 130! You are going to be a busy guy! Drew

 

The Dro

Illustrious

• May 1, 2018

• #6

Keep us posted... great project.

 

Jeff B

Well-known member

• May 1, 2018

• #7

JimC said:

Not sure why the software resolves some punctuation marks as ? and the random upside down pix are maddening.

Click to expand...

Isn't that an i-thing?


.

 

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 1, 2018

• #8

It might be, I’m an i-user.

 

Dan kemper

Founding Member

Callsign: KK6ECF

• May 1, 2018

• #9

Awesome! Look forward to following along

 

ersatzknarf

Active member

• May 2, 2018

• #10

i think it's effin beautiful ! thank you for rescuing and adopting, sir

thanks, again, for only posting about it here

 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict

Callsign: KF7KFZ

• May 2, 2018

• #11

It's amazing to think that these things can be a barn find in some alternate fantasy universe.

Keep posting! This will be awesome. I love that it has a cab top for the rear bed.

 

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 2, 2018

• #12

I?m pretty sure it was a Southern Electricity Board truck, they were supposedly the first fleet customer for the 127 high cap. It would be neat to know more about the fleet sand the specs of these trucks.

 

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rocky

NAS-ROW Addict

• May 2, 2018

• #13

What a great find. A power wash with some bleach will get rid of mold.

Southern Electric had at least two colours over the years. http://www.onetonlandrovers.co.uk/electricityboard/SEB/SEB_10.jpg

http://www.onetonlandrovers.co.uk/electricityboard/index.htm

 

ersatzknarf

Active member

• May 2, 2018

• #14

naaaaahhhhh ! that's patina !

 

LazyRabbit

Well-known member

• May 2, 2018

• #15

sweet find!

 

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 5, 2018

• #16

I?m swapping the V8 in this weekend but first I have to remove the hideous mess of an NA Nissan diesel. It?s hard to believe that it was ever considered an improvement of any kind.

 

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 5, 2018

• #17

Pix

 

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JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 5, 2018

• #18

Success for now.

Turns out the bell housing on the lt95 was swapped out for the nasty diesel install, but I managed to spear the spigot bushing and got the v8 sitting in there on the engine mounts. It?ll never run like this but at least it actually looks proper and is importable.

 

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LazyRabbit

Well-known member

• May 6, 2018

• #19

was the nissan diesel absolutely trashed or just to small and nasty running? I'd jsut drop another diesel in or an LS.

 

JimC

Super Moderator

Staff member

• May 6, 2018

• #20

It had to be V8 for US import. The truck has been sitting for 15 years, so it would take a lot of work to revive an undesirable old Diesel engine anyway.